Can opener



M. C. FRINS Feb. 20, 1940.-

CAN OPENER Filed May 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a M: 1 .7 WW m 1M EATOR Maxzmill'an (Illu'ns, BY

[wigs Wow 10 ATT RNEYS Feb. 20, 1940.

M. C. FRINS CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1935 INVENTOR. Maxizzzzlzan 6211mm, BY w 96 q my ATT RNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1940 (h memo PATENT OFFICE,

7 CAN OPENER Maximilian o. Frins, Plainfield, J. Application May 5, 1936, Serial No. 77,966

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to utensils usually and particularly adapted for use in the kitchen and embodies, more specifically, a combination tool includinga can opener of improvedform.

More particularly, the invention embodies a can opener having a cutter and a feed wheel by means of which the can is moved with respect to the cutter to cause the top to be properly cut.

v Can Openers have heretofore been provided having a cutter and a feed wheel by means of which the above actuation of the can is effected and the presentinvention embodies an improved construction in can openers of this character by means of which the feed wheel may be normally maintained in a position spaced away from the cutter, whereby application of the opener to the can and removal from the can is greatly facilitated. In the use of these existing forms of openers, itihas been found thata positive manual is usually required before the cutter can heap,- pliedto the can or removed therefrom. These manual operations frequently give rise to confusion and inconvenience in operation and it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure by means of which the feed wheel may.

be maintained normally in a position spaced from the cutter after the cutter has been removed from a can. f Afurther object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the above character wherein the feed wheel is normally maintained in a position spaced away from the cutter by a device which affords a yielding action whereby operation of the mechanism upon application thereof to a can may be carried through in the usual manner.

A, further object of the invention is, to provide, in combination with a device of the above character, means for yieldingly maintaining the in can opener in proper position with respect to the can, such means comprising a spring which is bowed downwardly in the plane of the feed wheel wherebythe head of the can may be gripped and held between such spring and the feed wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

in a device of the above character, means by. which the opener may be actuated to cut the lid actuation of the feed wheel away from the cutter above, will be apparentas the invention is described in further detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: I Figure 1 is a plan view of a utensil constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the de vice of Figural;

Figure, 3 is a view in section, taken on line the arrows Figure 4' is a view in section, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows; i

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation showing the cutter and shim or spacer constructed in accordance with the, present invention; i l 1 Figure 6 is a plan view of the cutter of Figure 5; a I V Figure '7 is a view in section, taken on line 1-1 of Figure 6, and lookingin the direction of the arrows; l

Figure 8 is a plan view of the shim or spacer used in connection with the presentinvention;

Figures Q-and 10 are views similar to Figures 6 and 7, respectively. showing a modified form l of cutter; l

Figure 11 is a view in section taken through the cutter and feed wheel of the device shown inFigure 1, showing the manner in which a cutting operation is performed; Figure 12 is a viewini side elevation, showing the manner, in whichthedevice is applied to a can, prior to operation of the feed wheel;

Figure His 2. View similar to Figure 12, showing the manner in which the feed wheel engages the rim of the can and climbs, down beneath the bead thereof; I

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figures 12 and 13, showing the manner in which the cutting operation is completed; i

Figure 15 is, a plan view of amodified form of cork screw for use in connection with the present invention; i

Figure16 is a view inside elevation of the cork screw of Figure 15; and

Figure 17 is a sectional view taken through the device and illustrating the manner in which the device is positioned when used as a knife sharpener. 7

Referring to-the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a frame isshown at 20 having a plate 2| formed thereon. This plate is provided with an elongated aperture or slot 22 within which a disc 23-(Figure 4) is slidably and rotatably received. The disc is provided with a key 24 to which a feed wheel 25 is secured upon one side of the plate 2!. The key and disc are properly positioned by means of locating discs 26 and 2! between which a friction disc 28 is provided. The friction disc 28 is adapted to be engaged by a bifurcated spring member 29, the friction disc 28 being received between the'bifurcations of the member 29 and the spring member being pivoted upon a shouldered rivet or other suitable element 301. By means of the foregoing construction, the spring member 29 serves-to maintain the feed wheel 25 yieldingly in the position shown in Figure 1 although, upon operation of the key 24, as by means of the wing 3!, the feed wheel may be advanced toward the cutting mechanism to be described presently. In this connection, the feed wheel 25 is provided with a serrated o-r knurled periphery 32 to facilitate engagement thereof with the rim of the can and to afford suflicient traction to move the can into the cutter.

Extending inwardly toward the can and mounted upon the plate 2L. is an arm 33 which is adapted to engage the side of the can, as shown in Figure 11, and position the opener properly with respect thereto during the cutting operation; In this connection, and to further facilitate locating the cutter, a spring 34 is provided, being mounted upon aspring plate 35 which is secured to the frame 21!. The endsof the plate are rounded as at 36 in orderthat the rounded ends of the spring 34 may bere'ceived thereon. the spring 34 being mounted in the plane of the feed wheel 25 and being bent downwardly with respect to the spring plate 35 and having a straight bottom'portion to engage the can. In this fashion, the bottom of spring 34 engages the top of the bead of the can; and causes the cutter to be positioned properly during the cutting operation. Y

In order that the frame 20 and cutting mechanism carried thereby'may be handledwith facility, a handle 3'! is provided, this handle being secured upon opposite sides of the frame 20 and spring plate'35, as clearly shown inFigure 2L Rivets 38 or other suitable devices may be used to assemble the elements in the manner above described and, in order that the cutting operation may be accomplished, a cuttertfiis secured to the spring plate 35 preferably by means of rivets 4G or the like; This cutter 39 is provided with a downwardly'extending blade portion. 4!

uponwhich an angularly formed cutting edge 42 is provided.v In order that the cutter maybe spaced from the rim. ofthe can to facilitate its movement pastthe bead, a shim or spacer 39' is provided having a downwardly extending portion 4! which is adapted to space the cutting edge. 42 from the rim of the-can. This portion 4! bears against the inside of the rim of the can, this preventing the cut portion of the can near the rim from being deformed. or bent. As

a result, a positive and clear cut is provided.

"43 is pivoted upon a shaft or rivet 44, sp ring washers 45- being provided between the cork screw and the sides of the handle 31. These washers are preferably slotted at 46 in order that the friction effect thereof may be increased and, as a result, the cork screw 43 is always effectively maintained in the position shown in Figure 2, in a yielding manner. In Figures 15 and 16 a modified form of cork screw is shown, the end of the screw 43 being formed with a spring eye 43' which is adapted to be inserted over the rivet 44, a spacer'M being provided to enable the rivet 44- to be effectively upset'without bringing the convolutions of the eye 41:3, into engagement and forming a solid columntherecf.

The frame 23, in orderthat the utensil may have still greater utility, is formed Withan opening 41 which is adapted to receive a cap of a bottle, one edge 48 of the opening 41 being of reduced thickness'and offset in order that it may engage effectively beneath a bottle cap and clear the rim of capped cans. Extending axially of the plate 24 is an extension is having an extremity t which serves as a pryer for the removal of coversifrom cans of the pressed in covertype and may also serve as a screw driver.

. Another extension 52 is'formedon the plate 20, terminating in "a hook-shaped portion 53, which is adapted to engage beneath the edge of a cap or the lid of a jar, thus enabling the device, in conjunction with pr'ojectionti, to be used as a jar opener.

In operation, the device is applied to the can as indicated in Figure 12, with the shim or spacer on the inside of the rim of the can and the feed wheel on the outside thereof. Upon rotation of the feed wheel 25 in the proper direction and engagement thereof with the of the can, the feed wheel engages first the side of the rim, as illustrated in Figure 13, and then climbs down beneath the rim and assumes the position shown in Figure 11., Continued rotation of the wheel results in complete severance of the top of the can, as shown in Figure 14:. Just before the end of the cut, the cover or top of the can tips into the angular position shown in Figure 14, in which position it may be grasped and readily removed.

By providing adequate space between the feed wheel and the cutter, the opener is readily pliedto the can, sufficient space being provided to receive the rim between the cutter and the wheel.

It will be observed that the 34 serves to exert a pressure on the top of the can through the cutting edge 42 and causes the feed wheel to bite into the side and bottom. of the rim upon initial engagement thereof with such element. In practice it ispreferred to form the plate 35 slightly thicker than the spring 34 in order to al.- low the spring to deflect freely during ope ation. Inasmuch as the spring 3% may deflect, variations in the width of the rims of different cans are;

upon the plate 20 inorder that they may lie in a common plane and touch each other at their peripheries. The discs or cutters 65 should be made of suitable material, such as tool or hardened steel, and, by means of the nuts and screws 62 they may be adjusted so that different portions of the peripheries thereof may be in contact. In this connection, it is highly desirable that the feces of the discs 65 be flush and, in use, it is necessary that the discs be held at a proper angle with respect to the edge drawn therethrough in the sharpening operation. Figme 17 illustrates the manner in which the manuaily operated handle 31 and the extension 33 serve as means for supporting these discs in proper position so that they may be used most effectively. It has been found that the nuts 63 may be used without the eccentric tap holes thereof, reliance being made upon the threads of the screws 62 to give sufliciently to permit the discs to be adjusted. To effect this the center distance between the holes in the extensions 60 and SI should be less than the center. distance between the cutting discs when they touch each other.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A can opener comprising a frame, a cutter on the frame, a feed wheel rotatably mounted on the frame with provision for movement of the of the periphery of the can, said spring lying.

in the plane of the wheel.

3. A can opener comprising a frame, an elongated slot in the frame, a feed wheel journaled in the slot, a spacer bar on the frame, a cutter mounted beside the bar, and a spring having ends adapted to receive the ends of the bar and leaving a downwardly extending bent fiat portion adapted to engage the upper edge of the periphery of the can, said spring lying in the plane of the wheel.

l. A can opener comprising a frame, an elongated slot in the frame, a feed wheel journaled in the slot, a spacer bar on the frame, a cutter mounted beside the bar, a friction brake comprising a spring member and a friction disk adapted to be engaged. thereby to maintain the wheel in a position away from the cutter, and a spring mounted on the bar and adapted to engage the upper edge of the periphery of the can, said spring lying in the plane of the wheel.

A can opener comprising a frame, an elongated slot in the frame, a feed wheel journaled in the slot, a spacer bar on the frame, a cutter mounted beside the bar, a pivoted bifurcated spring member to maintain the wheel in a position away from the cutter, the spring member receiving the wheel between the bifurcations thereof, and a spring having ends adapted to receive the ends of the bar and having a downwardly extending bent flat portion adapted to engage the upper edge of the periphery of the can, said spring lying in the plane of the wheel.

6. A can opener comprising a frame, a cutter having a cutting edge, a shim immovably fixed with respect to the cutter to engage the rim of a can and space the cutting edge away from the inside margin of the rim of a can, and a feed wheel rotatably mounted on the frame with provision for movement of the wheel towardand away from the cutter.

MAXIMILIAN o. Farris. 

